Episode 32 (Manga)
Synopsis In shock, the Queen briefly forgets about the predicament she finds herself in. Despite the doctors making sure that Griffith was indeed dead, here he stands before her. He explains that the poison was really a drug which caused a near-death stasis, and the doctors were fooled into thinking that he was genuinely deceased. One of the men in the tower begs for his life, but is silenced by the Queen. Griffith reveals that he secretly always knew of their plans, and took an active role in bringing them down, in direct contrast to their scheming from the shadows and relying on proxies to do their work for them. The Queen angrily exclaims that she won't stand for being killed by a simple commoner like Griffith. He coolly replies that on the battlefield, one's station doesn't determine life or death. Rather, it is victory and defeat that decide. He turns and walks away as the tower is engulfed in flames and collapses. Griffith leaves the scene and meets with Foss behind a statue. Foss is deeply troubled by the whole situation, which Griffith attributes to either Foss having betrayed his friends, or participating in a regicide. Foss asks how Griffith came to know of their plans, and Griffith reveals that after seizing Foss up during their meeting in Wyndham before Griffith's departure to end the war, he determined from the fear in Foss' eyes that Foss wanted him dead. Foss realizes that the shaking he's currently suffering stems not from his betrayal, nor his part in the murder of the Queen; rather, he fears the unsettling air of grandeur emanating from Griffith. Griffith tears up the blood-oath previously held by Foss, claiming that it is no longer necessary. He orders Foss to follow him. At a water mill far from the scene of the Queen's death, Foss is reunited with his daughter, Elize, who was kidnapped by the five original men with whom Foss conspired to kill Griffith at Griffith's behest. The White Falcon tosses them a sack of gold as their reward for siding with him, and they leave. As they all walk together back to Wyndham, Foss' original accomplices consider ratting Griffith out should he cut ties with them. Unbeknownst to them, Griffith has planned even for this contingency. They come across Guts, still cloaked and wearing his feathered hat, who kills them. Griffith, who was following, meets with Guts. The latter breathes a sigh of relief now that the grand conspiracy has drawn to a close, and Griffith tells him to leave the gold with the dead men because, despite being dead, they had earned it. Griffith asks Guts if he thinks of him as cruel, since Griffith left all the dirty work to Guts while his own hands remain clean. Guts laughs it off, reminding Griffith that he achieved his fame by killing one hundred men in a single night. As they head back to Wyndham together, Guts tells Griffith of the humorous experience of seeing Casca in a dress. Characters in Order of Appearance * Queen of Midland * Griffith * Foss * Elize * Guts